Supply system for electric railways



2 sheets-sheen 1.

Patented ont. 15, 1895.

1: W111i H 11111 HH u11|11|1u11111 HWMINN 1 JfHARTMAN. SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELEGTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 547,784.

(No Model.)

2 Sheetsf-Sheet 2. J .'HARTMAN. SUPPLY SYSTEM POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

Patented 001;. 15,1895.

llNirnn Sterns ATENT FFICEG SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent N o. 547,784, dated October 15, 189 5.

i Application inea August v, 189s. 'sean 110,482,547. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HARTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems for Electrical Propulsion of Railway- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to closed-conduit4 systems for the electrical propulsion of railway-cars, and has for its object the provision of certain new and useful improvements therein, to the end that the construction thereof' may be simplied, the efficiency increased,A

and immunity from danger secured.

My invention consists of an underground supply system for electric railways in which the conduit and conductors are divided into blocks each insulated from the other and having stationary as distinguished from depressible conductors adapted to become active upon the approach and'passage thereover of a car and inactive at all times thereafter, and a series of switches, for the purpose mentioned, of novel form, each'adapted for operation through the motion instead of the Weight of the car and inoperative upon the passage of other vehicles.

My invention also consists in the details of construction and the combinations of parts necessary for the attainment of this end, all'. as hereinafter fully described and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- I l Figure l is a plan view, partly broken away, of the improved system; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the ends of adjoining blocks of such system, a switch-box, the trolley-wheels, andv switch-operating arms in operative relation. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the interior of such ends; and Fig. 4, an end view of one of them, showing the trolley-wheels in contact with the conductors thereof. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the switch and its boX or casing; and Fig. 6, a side elevation, partly in section, of the same. Fig. 7 is aplan View, partly in section, of a spring-brush and commutator. Figs. S and 9 are a side elevation and plan view of the circuit-controlling mechanism; Fig. 10, an end view of the magnets, and Fig. 1l alongitudinal section of the cylinder which forms part of such mechanism. Fig. 12 is adetailof the form of coupling which unites the conduit-sections which c'ompose the blocks of the improved system.

In said drawings, the improved conduit is shown to be composed of a series of continuous sections or blocks A A A2 A3, insulated each from the other through the interposition of insulating material, as at a a a2, between the meeting ends thereof, and is designed to occupy a position between the car-tracks or rails. Such conduit contains the main lead and return wires l and 2, connected with a suitablylocated generator of high electromotive force, (the form of which is not of the essence of this invention and need not, therefore, be particularly shown or described herein,) and each said section having therein, at any convenient point, a contact-piece a3 in permanently closed circuit, through the branch wire 3, with said return-wire, also a pair of similar pieces a4 a5, one at each end, in alternately closed and open circuit with said lead wire, as hereinafter described.

Each section of the conduit is closed by the copper lead and return conducting-strips B B and their supporting-plates O C', which latter, by their liangescc, rest upon the upper edges of the sides of the sections. The conductingstrips of each of the latter have on each of their Vsides a protecting-strip of iron, as at b b', preserving the same against undue wear and increasing their conducting surface or area, said strips being insulated from each other and from the plates C C by the strips b2 b3 b4 b5, of insulating material, also from those of the adjacent sections by the insulation a a a2 aforementioned. The strips b3 b4 are separated by a T-rail b, whose head b7 extends over and affords protection against the Wearing of their upper edges by the trolley or the wheels of passing vehicles, While such edges and the upper edges of the plates C C are in a higher plane than the upper edges of the conducting-strips, forming paralleltrolley-grooves a6 a7, said plates, the T-'rail, and insulation being secured together as a whole by the bolts c2 c5, which pass through the same from plate to plate, forming an effective closure for the conduit to the exclusion of moisture.

As shown clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the conducting-strips are provided at the IOO proper intervals with forked contact-pieces bs b9 D10, which straddle the pieces a3 a4 a5 and form electrical connections for said strips therewith.

The trolley-wheels employed have the protecting disks or plates d d' cl2, properly insulated therefrom. There are four such wheels, (only three D D D2 being shown,) the same being supported by a suitable truck D3 beneath the body of the car, and having the brushes cl3 di for connection with the car-motor, (not shown,) the purpose of-which arrangement will hereinafter appear. Y

Secured to one side of the conduit-sections, opposite the junctions of their meetingr ends, are the switch-boxes E E E2, the saine having lateral lian ges e e', through which the bolts e2 c3 pass into the walls of such sections, each said box having in its upper part, at the end nearest the conduit-sections, a circular chamber f, within which is located a rotatable notched disk F, which almost lills said chamber, the teethf of said disk having a tendency to carry any dirt around and out of the chamber, preventing its accumulation therein. As will be observed, this chamber has a portion of its walls on a line parallel with the adjacent side of the conduit removed,`aftording an opening through which extend, one at a time, the teethf of said wheel into the path of the arms or projections g g', located at the inner sides of the axles of the `wheels G G of the car. At the same time the lid c2 of each box terminates at such distance from the side of the conduit as to aiord clearance for the passage of said arms or projections into engagement with such teeth. The axis of the disk F of each box is diametrically opposite the junctions of the meeting ends of the re' spective sections, and the shaft 7L thereof is journaled in the partition e3, which forms the bottom of the disk-chamber, and the bottom e4 of the switch-box, saidshaft having secured thereon the star-wheel I-I and the come mutator II', said star-wheel having in engagement therewith the spring-controlled roller ends of the binding-postst' il i2, which latter are horizontally supported-on the standard e5, which upholds the partition e3, and beingof such shape as to permit ot the rotation of the commutator in either direction.

K represents a horizontal rotary cylinder of non-conducting material, having at equal distances apart three longitudinal peripheral strips 7u k k2 of copper, and pivotally supported by the standards L L through the medium of the pivot-screws Z l', said cylinder having in each of its end plates 103751 a series of six pins h5 lo, there being a pin of each series foreach said strip and one for each of the spaces between them. M M M2 are the brushes for this cylinder, at their outer ends beingadapted for alternate contact with said strips and spaces, and at their inner ends each su pported by its own standard N, upon which it is secured by the binding-postsn 'n' n2. The latter receives the ends of the wires 4 5 6, which connect, respectively, the two lastmentioned brushes with the contact-pieces a4 a5 in the contiguous ends of the adjacent conduit-sections and the brush M with the main lead Wire l.

Cylinder K is subject to the impulse of the alternately-operating armatures o o of magnetsO O', which armatures are pivoted on the screw-pivots o2 os in the lugs o4 o5, and have central openings o o7 for reception of the cores o8 of said magnets, thelatter depending from the cross-head 1J of the standard I, to which they are secured by the screws jp p2 at an angle corresponding with the inclination of said armatures when inthe position shown in full lines in Fig. 8. In this figure it will also be seen that thc free endsot the armatures have pivoted on the pins of therein the L-shaped levers R R', the lower ends r of which operate as counterbalances for the upper ends fr', the effect being that lwhen said levers are in the position shown in dotted lines the weight of the countcrbalances will insure the location of the notch r2 in theV end o" directly beneath the pin k or 7o which is next above it.

In Figs. 1 and G it will be seen that the commutator-brush I of each box is connected through wire 9 with the magnet O of the pre cedingswitch-box, and the brush I of each box is connected through wire SWith the magnet O of thesucceeding box, While line-wire 10, which is connected with a generator separate from andof lower potential than that with which the main wires 1 and 2 are connected, or with a suitable'battery, neither of which it is necessary to illustrate, connects the brushes I2 of all the boxes, and line-wire 7, which is also connected with the weaker generator or battery, has branches 7 7b, which connect with the magnets O O of each box. Said generator or battery is located in a powerhouse. The circuit is from said brush I through wire 9to said magu et O', through the latter and branch 7 to the lead or line wire 7, and through the same back to the generator.

Now suppose a car provided with the arms g g', which extend downwardly to the side of and slightly below the plane ot' the top of the conduit,to be approaching the junction of any of the conduit-sections--say, for example,

sections AAZ, (shown more clearly in Fig. 1,)-I

the lead conducting-strip B of the section A', over which the car is running, being active,the current thereofA passes through the trolley-wheels D D' to the motor and back through the trolley-wheels D2, the return conducting-strip B of such section, and returnwire 2 to the generator, upon reaching which junction the arm'g at the forward end of the car strikes that one of the teeth f of the disk F which projects outside of the chamberf of the switch-box E into the path of said arm,

IOO

IOS

carrying such tooth around until it rests just within the chamber and bringing the next tooth into the position just vacated thereby. This causes a one-sixth revolution of the shaft h of said disk and of the commutator H thereon, and brings one of the copper-strips h3 h4 h5 of the same into contact with the brushes I l l2, electrically connecting the latter and closing the circuit composed ot' wire 10 and its brush l2, brush I', wire 8, magnet O of the next box E2, wire 7 and its branch 7b, also the circuit composed of said wire lO through such strip, the brush I, wire 9, magnet O' of the preceding box E, and wire 7 and its branch 7a. This effects the upward impulse of the armatures o and o of the boxes E E2 and the partial rotation of the cylinders K in each through the engagement of the notched ends of the levers R of said armatures with the cylinder-pin next above. This brings one of the strips of the cylinder'in box E2 into contact With the brushes M M M2 therein and closes the circuit composed of the lead wire l, wire 6, said brushes, wires 5 and 4, pieces a4 a5, and the conductor-strips B in the conduitsections A2 A3, which terminate at this box. This energizes said strips in both directions to their points of insulation from the adjoining strips, while it causes the strip of the cylinder in box E, with which the brushes M M M2 in the latter have previously been in contact, to pass from beneath said brushes and the latter to rest in one of the intervening spaces, breaking thev circuit composed of such brushes and the wires which connect them with the main lead wire and the pieces a4 a5 and lead-conducting strip B in sections A A', which terminate at this last-mentioned box, and cutting out the conductor-strip in said section A. The progress ofthe car being continued causes the arm g at the rear end of the car to strike that tooth of the disk E of box E which now projects into its path and effects the rotation of the shaft of said disk another one-sixth turn, bringing the brushes I I I2 in this box opposite one of the spaces of the commutator thereon. This breaks the circuit thereat and allows the armatures o and o in boxes E E2, respectively, to drop back to their normal positions, ready for subsequent operation by a succeeding car. At this stage,- it will be remembered, the brushes M M M2 of the box E2 are still in contact with one ot' the strips of the cylinder therein through the previous ope'ration of the disk in the box E', iu which position they remain until the forward arm g of the car strikes the projecting tooth of the disk in the box E3, when, in the manner hereinbefore described, this cylinder will be given a one-sixth turn, which brings said brushes opposite one of the spaces, effecting the cutting out of the conductor B in conduit-section A2, and so onsuccessively. Y n

Thec cylinders of the different boxes are limited against further than the necessary movement by the contact of the end r of the arms R with the pin next below the one with which it is in engagement, as shown clearly in Fig. 8,v while the commutators H are prevented from excessive movement and the projecting tooth of the disk F secured in proper alignment relatively to the arms g g of the car by the roller h2, which latter is supported by the spring h3, said roller engaging with the notches of the star-wheel H and bearing upon the inclined sides of the points ot said wheel sufficiently to force the shaft h to the desired extent in either direction.

The distances apart of the switch-boxes', or the length of the blocks between them, may be varied atwill,and while Fig. l of the drawings shows each block as consisting of but a single conduit-section it is quite obvious that in order to locate said boxes at such points as to secure the most effective result without unnecessarily multiplying the number thereof it will be necessary for convenience of construction to have each block composed of a number of smaller conduit-sections A4 A5, electrically connected through the use of a single contact-piece or coupling a6, common to both, as shown in Fig. l2, instead of a pair of contact-pieces at the meeting ends of such sections, the conductor B having the usual forked contacts for embracing said coupling and the blocks composed of the conduit-sections being insulated from each other and in multiple arc, as explained.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. In an electric railway system, the combination of a continuous slotted conduit divided intoblocks insulated from each other, containing the lead and return wires; a lead conductor, in one slot, in alternately closed and open circuit with the lead wire and a return conductor, in the other slot, in permanent electrical connection with the return Wire; anda circuit-controlling device, at the junction of said blocks, actuated through the collision therewith of projections on the car and. rendering active and inactive said lead transmitter progressively, for the purpose specified.

2. In an electric railway system, the combination of a continuous slotted conduit divided into blocks, insulated from each other, comprising one or more conduit-sections electrically connected and containing the lead and return wires; a. lead conductor, in one slot, in alternately closed and open circuit with the lead wire, and a return conductor, in the other slot, in permanent electrical connection with the returnwire; and acircuit-controlling device, at the junctions of said blocks, actuated through the collision therewith of projections on the ca r and rendering active and inactive said lead conductor progressively, for the purpose specied.

3. In an electric railway system, the combination of a continuous slotted conduit divided into blocks, insulated from each other, comprising one or more conduit-sections electrically connected and containing the lead and return wires; lead and returnconductors in ICO IZO

the slots of the conduit; each of said blocks having in each end thereof a contact piece in alternately closed and open circuit with said lead wire, and a suitably located similar piece in permanent electrical connection with said return Wire, said conductors being electrically connected with the respective contact pieces; and a circuit-controlling device, at the junctions of said blocks, actuated through the collision therewith of projections on the car and rendering active and inactive said lead conductor progressively, for the purpose specilied.

Ll. An electric railway system divided into blocks insulated from each other and having at each of the junctions thereof a pair of alternately operating magnets; a cylinder, for each pair of magnets, having copper peripheral strips; brushes in contact with said cylinder and electrically connected with the blocks which terminate thereat and with the main lead wire; and a circuit-controlling device connected with one of the preceding pair of magnets and with the other of the succeeding pair and operating, when suitably actuated, to bring the brushes of the precedingr cylinder over a space thereof, effecting the cutting out of the block in advance of the same, and to bring the brushes of the succeeding cylinder into contact with one of the strips thereof, energizing the blocks adjacent thereto, for the purpose specied.

5. In an electric railway system, the combination of a continuous conduit provided with parallel trolley-grooves, the latter having therein the lead and return conductors respectively, each having on each side a metallic protecting strip and being insulated from thel other and from the sides of said grooves, for the purpose specified.

6. In an electric railway system, the combination of a continuous conduit divided into blocks, insulated from each other, provided with parallel trolley-grooves, the latter having therein the lead and return conductors similarly divided, each having on each side a metallic protecting strip and being insulated from the other and from the sides of said grooves, said lead conductor being in alternately open and closed circuit with the main lead wire and said return conductor in permanently closed circuit with the return wire, for the purpose specified.

7. In an electric railway system, the con1 bination of a continuous conduit divided into blocks insulated from each other and comprising one or more conduit sections in permanent electrical connection, said conduit being provided with parallel trolley-grooves having respectively therein the lead and return conductors similarly divided, each having on each side a metallic protecting strip and being insulated from the other and from the sides of said grooves, the lead conductor of each block being in alternately open and closed circuit with the main lead wire and the return conductor in permanently closed circuit with the return Wire, for the purpose specified.

8. In an electric railway system, the coinbination of a continuous conduit provided with parallel trolley-grooves, the latter having respectively therein the lead and return conductors, each having on each side a metallic protecting strip and being insulated from the other and from the sides of said grooves, the insulation between said conductors being separated by a T plate Whose head extends over the edges of said insulation, said conductors; protecting strips; insulation and T plate being secured between flanged plates which'rest upon the sides of and form a closure for the conduit, for the purpose specified.

9. An electric railway system divided into blocks insulated from each other and having, at the junctions thereof, a pair of magnets;a cylinder for each such pair having pins on its ends, the armatures of the magnets having L shaped, counterbalanced, notched levers for engagement with said pins, said cylinder having brushes in contact therewith, the same being electrically connected with the blocks which terminate thereat and with the main lead wire, said magnets being alternately actuated, and said brushes brought into contact alternately with the strips and intervening spaces of said cylinder thereby, through the Operation of a suitably located circuit-controlling device, for the purpose specified.

10. An electric railway system divided into blocks insulated from each other and having, at the junction thereof, a pair of magnets; a cylinder for each such pair and having pins on its ends, and the armatures of the magnets being provided with L shaped, counterbalanced, notched levers for engagement with said pins, said cylinder having brushes in contact therewith, the same being electrically connected with the blocks which terminate thereat and with the main lead wire; and a circuitcontrolling device electrically connected with the preceding and the succeeding pair of magnets, each such device being operated by the passage thereover of a car and effecting the rotation of the preceding cylin der to such extent as to bring its brushes over one of the spaces and the rotation of the succeeding cylinder sufficiently to bring the brushes thereof into contact with a strip, for the purpose specified.

1l. An electric railway system divided into blocks having at the junctions thereof a circuit-controlling device consisting of a rotary shaft, provided with a toothed disk, and having thereon a commutator, the teeth of said disk projecting, singly, into the path of arms on the car, said commutator having suitable brushes adapted for contact with a strip thereof, upon the collision of one such arm with a tooth of the disk, and with an intervening space upon the collision of the other arm with the next tooth; also, at each j unction, a pair of magnets; a cylinder for each IOO IIO

such pair, having pins on its ends, the armatures of the magnets being provided with L shaped, counterbalanced, notched levers for engagement with said pins, said cylinder having brushes in contact therewith, the saine being electrically connected with the blocks which terminate thereat and with the main lead Wire, one of the eommutator-brnshes being connected with one of the magnets of the preceding pair; another With the other one of the succeeding pair of magnets, and a third brush being on one of the line wires, the other line Wire having branches leading to each magnet of the system, for the purpose specitied.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand this 3d day of August, A. D. l895.\`

JOHN HARTMAN. Witnesses:

WM. H. POWELL, R. DALE SPARHAWK. 

